Yu-Chien(Benny) Tseng in Recital

Taiwanese violinist Yu-Chien (Benny) Tseng is rapidly building an international reputation as an emerging young soloist of enormous promise praised for his “grace, poise, and blistering virtuosity.”

Following his recent German debut with the Saarbrucken Radio Orchestra, the critic warmly praised his performance of the Beethoven Violin Concerto: “Classically balanced without showing off; Sensitive, discreet nuances; Highly cultured sound; graceful and playful, relaxed elegance without attitude – Exemplary!”

In July 2015, he received the great honor of winning the top prize for violin at the XV International Tchaikovsky Violin Competition. A student of eminent pedagogues Aaron Rosand and Ida Kavafian at the Curtis Institute of Music, Tseng previously won first prize at both the Singapore International Violin Competition and the Sarasate Violin Competition in Pamplona, Spain.

Yu-Chien Tseng’s international career is already developing very well; he made a series of major debut orchestral appearances, including with the London Philharmonic, Munich Philharmonic and Czech Philharmonic Orchestras in the autumn of 2016. Previously, he has played with such orchestras as the Philadelphia Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of Belgium, Taipei Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan, Orquesta Sinfónica de Navarra and the Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie. At the Tchaikovsky Competition, his winning performances in the final round featured two of the violin repertoire’s most iconic concertos, by Tchaikovsky and Sibelius. In an earlier round, he received high praise for the elegance and poise in his rendition of Mozart’s final violin concerto (“Turkish”), attracting the attention of Maestro Valery Gergiev. Tseng performed Mozart’s “Turkish” Concerto at the Competition’s Moscow Gala concert with the Mariinsky Orchestra under Gergiev. At the St. Petersburg Gala, Tseng performed the Tchaikovsky concerto. He was also invited to perform under Gergiev at the maestro’s festival in Mikkeli, Finland and will perform both the Tchaikovsky and Brahms concertos with Gergiev and the Munich Philharmonic on their tour of Taiwan in November 2015. He also gives recitals in Asia, America and Europe.

His debut recording (2012) is an album of French violin sonatas (Franck, Ravel and Debussy) on the Fuga Libera Label.

Mr. Tseng graduated from the Curtis Institute in spring 2016, but will continue advanced studies in the USA in the season ahead.

Deutsche Grammophone signed him to a new contract in the summer of 2016. His first project, a recital disc, is being recorded in Berlin in October 2016 and was released in January 2017. An orchestral recording will follow in 2017.

He plays the Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesu 1732 Ex “Castelbarco-Tarisio,” on loan from the Chi-Mei Culture Foundation, Taiwan.

Mr. Tseng is under the general management of Armstrong Music (Beijing, Hong Kong and London).